The Prince of Hearts
by RGW
Summary: I am the bloodthirsty, backstabbing heir to the wealthy and feared Kingdom of Hearts. Hearts do not show the slightest sign of empathy or compassion. We take what we want and eliminate whoever is in our way. This is what it means to be a heart. The Princess of Clover is a fool who believes she can persuade me to think otherwise. She'll learn that Hearts are heartless.
1. Ace of Hearts

**Ace of Hearts**

In the land of Wonderland, there are four kingdoms. The Kingdom of Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds. Our kingdom is known as the tyrannical kingdom with an _awful_ queen who chops off heads. They whine that we're bloodthirsty and start wars all the time. They're babies about it since…as you know…we win all the damn wars. **Each and every one of them.** We have the strongest armies and the strongest limitations on our people. It's due to this that many call our kingdom a taboo. Nobody messes with us. Nobody can mess with us or we… _chop their head off_. In short, they're all wimps. What is the use of having human rights and all that jazz if you can't win one damn war? What is the use of bad-mouthing my mother if you're leaders aren't strong enough to make the decisions she can? She kills the people who are dispensable and leaves the rest who are dependable. It's as simple as that. These keep us alive and the best of all the kingdoms. We have the most power economically and politically. The rest are chumps compared to us.

You're wondering why I am sitting here thinking of all this now? Well, I'm in a damn meeting with all these whiny babies at the moment. They want to establish a peace treaty with us. _They want to make peace with the_ _ **KINGDOM OF HEARTS**_ _?!_ They're bloody insane. I start smirking as the eldest princess of clubs starts pleading away…asking me if I have any humanity. She'd actually be decent to look at…if she quit talking. She likes to start off with big words and then dumb it down to small like I'm a freaking child.

"Are you listening to me at all?" She snaps as she slams her hands down on the conference table in irritation. "This is serious! You shouldn't be smiling and snickering!"

"This is a joke," I laugh as I stand up and start casually kicking my chair down. "A waste of time. You aren't in any authority or even attractive enough to be spewing such nonsense at me. I should call up my men right now and raid your damn castle for forcing me to endure this boredom."

"If you murder all the people in the world, there wouldn't be anyone left to raid for you!" She screams. "They should be RAIDING YOUR DAMN MOTHER'S CASTLE!"

I could practically envision the smoke that should be popping out of her ears. Her hair was unkempt and falling like a waterfall in front of her face. Usually she was the picture of properness with her tidy little movements and "manners". It was irritating to be within her presence for five seconds much less 5 minutes. I often imagined throwing her out the window. I have actually attempted to throw her out the window.

As she continued lecturing me about proper etiquette and how heartless, insensitive, lazy, spoiled, and other disagreeable adjectives that described how I was, I start reminiscing about the event that happened yesterday. I was attending one of the biggest parties in the Kingdom of Diamonds. It was exclusive so only high ranking members of the court were allowed to attend. There was booze, dancing, and FUN so I figured Ms. Epiphany of Perfection would not be joining as she disagrees with anything that isn't what she views as correct. I was wrong. I hadn't even stood within the party for 6 seconds as she materialized behind me, took my arm, and lead me to a private study. She starts blabbering on about awfully boring and dreadful things that I don't give a damn about and gets up into my grill if I don't pretend to nod or agree with anything she says. I don't give a crap about her or appearances. I wanted to have FUN at this party NOT have her in my presence so I decided to…simply get rid of her. Weapons were not within reach except writing utensils. I would have used them, but I have tried that before and the results were less than effective. So I decided to casually pick her up and cradle her in my arms as I casually tossed her out the window. Unfortunately, I was not informed of her ability to levitate. So she simply floated in midair with her eyes glowing green from the sheer audacity I had to throw her out the window…and low and behold YELL at me some more. I closed the windows and the curtains and casually sent notice to the Prince of Diamonds that his beloved was floating outside the window…and to "court" her some more. The results were in my favor. She was busy being tortured by his flirtations and I was busy getting laid. Now if only he had attended this event.

My train of thought was cut off as I noticed the look of sheer horror that overcame her face. She paled and quickly began to sit in her seat meekly and the usual strong annoying demeanor she had worn off. That must mean my mother's behind me.

"Which one of you arrogant pricks started this conference?" She spoke in a stern voice that filled the whole room.

The Queen of Diamonds quickly held onto her husband's hands to try to steady herself. The King of Spades looked directly at his friend the King of Diamonds seeking some kind of miracle.

"Was it you?" She stared intently down at Clover, the princess who was yelling at me earlier.

"Um…You see…" She bite her lip and attempted to calm herself down by staring down towards the floor. "This was…"

"You dirty little miscreant!" My mother yelled as she stormed over to the girl and started pulling at her hair forcibly with her left hand. "I'LL MANTLE YOUR HEAD ON MY DOOR!"

Clover screamed and tried to pry the queen's hands off her hair. She began crying out and screaming in fear of her life.

"Please!" The King of Clubs pleaded. "Not my daughter!"

"She's an imbecile! She thinks she can COMMAND US! She thinks SHE CAN CONVINCE US OF ANYTHING! We are the RULERS of this land! There is no forgiving this!" My mother glowed red as she started pulling on the girl's hair harder. "I'm going to slaughter her as punishment! I'll use her blood as paint for my new dining room chairs!"

This incident hasn't been the first. The Queen of Hearts terrifies all, except for me. As I am the shining sun to her world, I can do whatever I please and she deems it as I'm turning everything into gold. This includes what I'm about to do now.

"Well, can I have her then?" I spoke casually.

My mother paused and looked up at me directly. All anger in her face instantly diminished and a smile overcame her hard features, "But I am about to rip her guts out, dear. Do you wish to have her skeleton?"

"No," I repeated. "Can I have her? Can I have Clover? Alive?"

The room became deathly silent. A stern look covered my mother's face. A poker face, unreadable, untouchable, possibly unnegotiable if I didn't know better.

"She's a dirty Club. CLUB. All they're good for is farming and being our servants in our dungeon. Also make for some decent fertilizer," She reasoned. "Why ever would you want to use a Club?"

I smirked as I glanced at Clover. She was pale, frightened and shaking in her little dress on all fours on the floor. _That's right Clover. Why ever would I want to use you?_


	2. Two of Hearts

**Two of Hearts**

A crackling sound filled my bedroom, almost as if it was an echo in an cave. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel this warm sensation of heat flowing throughout the room. At first I was laying down, relaxing in its comfort, but then I realized….this sound….this sensation…it was fire. A blaze. A thick blaze that could cover the land in seconds and decimate anything in its path. I screamed as I shot my body up in an upright position on my bed. **WHO LIT UP MY FIREPLACE?** My eyes tore around the room in an intensity of a mixture of fear and pure rage.

A small female chuckle filled the room as I met her eyes. Clover, in ragged clothes, stood beside the fire place with a match resting in her tiny hand. A smirk planted on her face as she knew the power of her position beside this one element. We were both glaring at each other with an intensity not even hate could define.

"I'm going to kill you Clover. I'm going to make you scream, yell, and beg for mercy underneath the crushing weight of something you FEAR the most,"I spurted out using all the might in me not to shove this woman to the ground and slam her head into the concrete floor.

"No," She retorted as she threw the match into the blaze. Her presence unyielding to my own. "You won't. Why else would you keep me captive in your damn fortress you define as a castle? You don't have it in you to kill me."

 _Dammit!_ I threw a lamp across the room just mere inches from where she stood. _She pulls this on me?! This little peace loving BITCH pulls this STUNT on me?!_ As a mixture of emotions took control of me, I then pause as I realized that I had felt…in a sense…betrayed. _Why do I feel….betrayed by this little piece of crap?_

"Are you done?" Clover stormed towards my bed and planted herself on the foot it. "Because I am not."

"I'm about to CHOKE you right now!" I scream at the top of my lungs at her. "HOW DARE YOU LIGHT A FREAKING FIRE IN FRONT OF ME!"

All control I had within me was gone. Yet, even with me in this state, Clover's facial expression didn't change. It was stoic, unmoving. Just like my mother's was when she reached the point of being disagreeable. That fueled me with rage more as I reached up and grabbed her shoulders. Unexpectedly, she lowers herself down to my level and gently places both hands on the side of my neck. Clover's head lowers as she plants her lips on top of mine. A warm, toxic feeling bubbled in my chest as I pulled her to me and deepened the kiss. Just as I pulled her closer to me, my door slams open as my younger sister casually walks into my room. Realizing what I had just done with a CLUB, I shove Clover off of me and storm out of my room. _What the hell was I doing?! WITH A DAMN DIRTY BACKSTABBING CLUB?!_ I curse at myself as I work my way down the stairs. I could hear my sister laughing hysterically behind me as she followed…only behind me by just a few strides.

"I am NEVER in the mood for you Madonia," I state as I slam the door in my sister's face.

A wooden piece on the side of the door, latches onto a metal hook to keep the door lock. Madonia begins slamming at the door.

"Aw! My dear prince, is this fun not allowed no more?" She laughs as she begins kicking at the door. "Shall I tell mother that you laid hands on your club? Ohhhhhh, or should I make it sound more DIRTY!"

She's annoying, so I ignored her and made my way to the shower stalls in the solder's quarters. The soldier's quarters was quiet, empty, barren as most were off to war and the rest that were stationed here were busy keeping "order" in the scattered cities throughout our capital kingdom. I quickly turn the latch and bask in a rain of cold water falling down on my head. I didn't care about my clothes or that my sister was threatening to blab to my mother about my earlier…fling _. That's all it was…was a fling. That's the only reason I would lay hands on that stupid princess that tried to threaten me with fire_. Fire. I finally realized my arm was shaking as my focus returned to the bar of soap in my hand. I sigh and sit down onto the floor.

As I continued to watch the water flow down the drain, my mind returned to a time when I was surrounded by a strong magnificent blaze in the middle of a small town in Clubs. My mind returned to the time, that I first met Clover.

I was a mischievous lad at just thirteen years old. We were invading clubs at the time and happened to be invading the small club town of Teara. My mother believed it to be a great grand idea to have me travel with raiding solders in smaller towns as she took over the more bigger cities in the east of the kingdom. As the solders were busy and screams and shouts were being heard everywhere, I took shelter. Hiding behind a bundle of hay, I sat down and was busy stacking a few stray strands out of boredom. I was told to hide so club solders wouldn't' capture me on sight. I was annoyed. I hated being unattended as I felt it was my birthright to be fully attended to and have my beck and call answered. After hiding in that dirty, stinky barn for what seemed to me was an eternity, I fell asleep. Then I heard….the crackling…..and the warmth. This wasn't a kind warmth…this was a scorching, hot, and demonized feeling to the touch. My eyes shot open immediately as I saw that the entire barn had been lit on fire. Who lit the fire? I still don't know to this day. All I remember was the fear that overcame me as the fire drew closer and closer to me on all sides. Up, down, and even to the bottom. I had screamed…screamed as loud as a little thirteen year old boy could when he was in danger of being killed. I could hear soldiers running to and fro, but no one came. I sat there in utter terror as within a few mere seconds the blaze spread…closer and closer to my feet. Who saved me was a little green haired girl. She took an axe and swung at the wooden wall and used her tiny little might to pull the wooden planks out to create an entrance for me to escape through. With a bucket of water in hand, she threw water at the flames that smothered them just long enough for me to hop through and run out of the barn. The instant my body knew I was safe…and alive, my knees buckled and I collapsed onto the dirt road.

 _Pathetic. Saved by the very princess we were at war with._ Those rumors haunted me when I was young. My mother could never accept that Clover had saved me. She had a burning hatred for the girl since that incident. I remember how often my mother would physically and verbally attack Clover whenever she was unlucky enough to be in her presence. She always terrified the girl. _I'm never going to pity a club._ I kept repeating to myself over and over as the opposite actually occurred in my head.

I slowly peeled off layer after layer of clothing I had on and stood up to regain my composure and resume showering…like the Prince of Hearts. I shook off my earlier memory and moment of weakness in order to be…a heart. _I am the Prince of HEARTS. I am the DAMN Prince of Hearts._ I punched the wall with my balled up fist. _I am a DAMN Heart and I will show her exactly what a Heart does._


	3. Three of Hearts

Three of Hearts

* * *

My pace quickened as I pivoted myself in the direction of my room. I had contemplated many different course of events to make Clover's life more miserable than it currently was. Apparently, working in the horse stalls and cleaning up manure for the remainder of her life was not enough to dampen her spirit. I was going to have to break it permanently. Before I could even touch the door handle, I was dissipated in front of my mother in the throne room.

The Queen of Hearts' gaze was trained to kill. Her body was leaned in a stern upright position with the only give way being her arm. Her elbow barely grazed the armrest of the throne as she had her ring finger casually tapping the tip of her lips as if she was lost in an evil train of thought. Her legs were crossed by the ankles as all royalty were trained to do. The Knave of Hearts always stood by her side in the room with his back as straight as a board and arms trained to be held behind him. Madonia sat on the other armrest and giggled as she noticed my instant glare at her direction. She had ratted me out as I knew she would.

The throne room was an important place in my mother's line of work. It was the headquarters for her decapitations, strategic warfare planning, and conference area where royalty would meet to grovel before her. This meant she wanted one of three things from me. To be beheaded, advice for warfare, or to grovel. I assumed she wanted the third option.

"What are you?" Her words were loud enough to echo around the entire room.

"The Prince of Hearts," I promptly replied, not looking pleased with this situation.

"Then, why do you disgrace our name!" My mother shouted with a force so thunderous that it shook the very throne she sat upon. "You are to inherit this throne. You are to continue on to rule with power far beyond our enemy's scope!"

Within a matter of seconds, she evaporated in a crimson mist and reappeared in front of me. Her eyes showing a rage that would make the most experienced solder quake in his boots. She suddenly strikes me with her hand. The first time to ever been done since I was born. I reacted by slowly feeling the stinging pain on my cheek using my left hand. I was shocked that my mother had done this to me.

"I allow you freedom! I give you power! You are going to inherit the world of Wonderland because of me!" She continued to shout. "You return this to me! You defile our very name with a Club! A Club!"

Before I could utter a single word, she raises her hand again. I flinch in preparation for another slap, but instead it was a calm soothing rub that I had felt on my cheek.

"My dear son, you would never do this to me," She softly spoke. "I see now. SHE defiled you. SHE defiled our name. I will take care of this."

She began to slowly walk back towards her throne. As she regained her position of authoritative power on her seat, she had a grin that brought chills to my very core. _What does she plan on doing to Clover?_

The next turn of events seemed like a blur as it occurred within the course of a single day. The Knave of Hearts had announced to the entire kingdom that all loyal subjects must be present in the town square in front of the throne room. As the crowd began to gather, I was escorted to my seat beside my mother's throne by Madonia. Who seemed incredibly cheerful over the upcoming event the Queen had arranged.

"Madonia, out with it!" I snap annoyed as she had hidden this information from me.

"This is so glorious!" She cheerfully yelled. "You are going to perform your first decapitation!"

I could feel the blood absolutely drain from my entire body. _Am I decapitating Clover? Why would mother have me do something that normally our soldiers are in charge of?_

"Isn't it wonderful? You're going to be just like mommy!" She began to wiggle excitedly in her seat.

"Mother doesn't decapitate her own people," I corrected. "Usually, Knave would do that or one of the soldiers."

"Not in the beginning," Madonia whined. "Mommy used to do it by herself in the beginning when our kingdom used to be really small."

I sigh in exasperation. Just a few days ago, I was partying with the Prince of Diamonds. Now, the entire kingdom is going to see me un-head a princess. Not just any princess, the Princess of Clubs. This turn of events was not what I had expected. _Does she want to humiliate me?! She dares do this to her own son?! How will people respect our name if you are shaming your son in front of your own kingdom!_

A pit began to form in my stomach. The thought of seeing Clover on the guillotine seemed to evoke these strange feelings in me. Feelings that I was not sure how to describe.

My mother descended down the stairs to enter the throne room. As she did, the Knave of Hearts announced her presence to the kingdom and everyone bowed at her presence. She made her way to her seat and began to motion the Knave of Hearts to commence with the event.

"The Queen of Hearts would like to proudly announce the first decapitation ordered by the Prince of Hearts," The Knave of Hearts announced to the crowd. "Please also welcome our royal guests from the Club kingdom. The King of Clubs and the Princess of Clubs."

Two soldiers escorted both the King and Princess in handcuffs and forced them on the ground in front of us. The Hearts. The King was visibly shaking in fear.

"Please!" Clover pleaded. "Release my father! Our kingdom needs their king! What will befall of the Clubs without him?!"

"Shut up! You idiot of a girl!" The Queen hollered in a voice filled with so much rage the very windows broke in countless shards around the throne room. "You are the reason your father is here today!"

The Queen rose in her seat and as she did the entire kingdom rose up to their feet with her.

"My Kingdom of Hearts! The Clubs have tested our patience too far! They dare think they have the right to defile our very existence! Our very power! How dare they! So for your entertainment, we are going to behead the King of Clubs right in our very capital. This will be a momentous day as my son will order his first decapitation!" The Queen announced with the roars of the people cheering in response to this event.

The King started pitifully pleading for his life as did Clover. Clover began spewing nonsense about replacing her with him and so on and so forth. I did not care to hear their words. All my thoughts flew to me. My first execution. It was not me chopping a head off, but ordering it. The head to be chopped was not Clover's, but her father's. The pit that had developed inside of me earlier seemed to gradually relieve itself and my composure was returned.

The Knave of Hearts obediently followed the Queen's orders and placed the King at the guillotine. The King's eyes were glued to me as he continued to beg for his life. Tears formed on his face and he began to sob.

"Please!" Clover's eyes bore into mine. "Please! You can do whatever you want! I'll gladly do anything without protest. Please! Don't kill my father! Kill me! Use me! Do anything to me! Anything, but him!"

My heart was thundering in my chest, but I kept my face lined in stone. I felt all eyes on me. My mother's, sister's, Clover's, the Kingdom's, and the victim's. A Hearts' duty was to take hearts away. A Hearts' purpose was to rule over all hearts. And I needed to fulfill this purpose that was outlined for me since the day I was born. For the first time in my life, I questioned that purpose. Was I prepared for my ultimate role in taking hearts?

"You can't!" She sobbed. "You aren't a Heart! You're different. You aren't like them! I know you can do what is right Prince! You can!"

"You're wrong." I slowly spoke unsure of the words I was even saying. "I am a Heart. I am the Prince of Hearts."

"You may be a Prince, but you do not have to be like your mother! You are your own person! I've watched you since we were young. I know you aren't like the Hearts! You are born a Heart, but you aren't one! You can't act like one!" Clover reasoned.

"Cover that girl's mouth! How dare she disobey my orders and attempt to brainwash my son!" My mother screamed as the Knave robotically did as he was told to do.

Half of what Clover was attempting to tell me, did not make sense. _How can I be born a Heart and not act like one?_ My mother brought me back to reality. I am the Prince of Hearts. Clover was only speaking to me and that kiss was her attempt to take control of me. _Control._ A surge of anger suddenly overcame me. Anger at the thought that the action she committed was not genuine, but was to get me to do what SHE wanted. _She made me question my own name?! I am going to teach that Club! I am going to make her regret messing with me!_

" **Off with his head!"** I hollered out to the Knave.

A few hours later, the whole castle was in an uproar as it was announced that the Princess of Clubs had escaped her chamber in the dungeons. All soldiers were on deck attempting to find the little fool. _Doesn't she know she can't hide from us?_ Our castle was designed to prevent our prisoners from escaping. We had multiple soldiers posted at every exit plus a moat around the castle where she would have to get over the sharks in order to get to land. There was no logical way that Clover could survive this escapade. This was complete idiocy.

I casually made my way to the castle roof to get a good view of all the soldiers moving around scatteredly like little ants. I was surprised to find Clover standing in front of me. Tear-stained face and red nosed from crying over her father's death, she was standing on top of the gate and gazing down at the view below.

"What are you doing? You cannot escape from up here, stupid girl," I spoke as I made my way to where she was.

Before I could reach a foot of her, she lit a match in her hand using a matchbox and threw it down at the castle below. A roar of flames circulated around the castle as the moat filled with water became a fiery inferno. _How was this happening?!_ I was paralyzed on the spot as it took all I could muster not to run back inside the castle for safety.

A blanket of smoke filled the air as flames cackled and embers danced in the night air. It was like an army. Unified for one purpose…to stand behind Clover. Clover's feet were on the very edge of the gate on top of my kingdom. Her gaze saw straight through me. An anger, hatred was buried in them from my actions.

"You rule with fear. You expect people to fear you when you are consumed by that very sin yourself," She uttered those words as she moved an inch back towards the flames.

"You failed. I am not broken Prince of Hearts! You tremble at the sight of the very element you are sworn to rule. I am going to have you tremble at the sight of me," She screamed as she continued on. "For your fear, will be my strength!"

And right before my eyes, Clover out-stretched both arms at her sides and allowed herself to fall into the fire. My heart. Stopped. All reasoning. All social standing. All sanity in me stopped. My reflexes took over. I rushed towards the gate and looked down at the flames I saw Clover descend in. Secretly in me hoping that this was some sick prank that she had pulled. Reality took over. _Clover was never one for those types of things._ I did not understand the feelings that were overcoming me. No Heart would. I fell to my knees and all I could do was stare down at the flames. Seeking to find a green-haired girl call out my name. Those calls were never heard.


End file.
